Bump in the Night
by clockworksalsa
Summary: Tavros Nitram is happily living in his new home, free from the restrictions of his overbearing father and distant brother. However, after Tavros finds something he feels like he shouldn't have, the house's darker nature begins to reveal itself, along with a presence that just might convince him to stay. Title might be changed and rating may go up.
1. Chapter 1

Tavros smiled gratefully at Rose Lalonde, thanking her once again for hooking him up with such a sweet deal on a house of his very own. Rose was a kick-ass realtor, and he thanked the stars that she happened to be dating his dear friend, Kanaya Maryam. Before she left, the crisply dressed platinum blonde reminded the man that his stuff would be here later this afternoon. He shook her hand in affirmation and as a farewell gesture. Tavros watched her most likely top of the line vehicle speed off. Inhaling deeply, the Latino turned to the beautiful oaken double doors that led to his now official home. Opening them, he left the wraparound porch briskly with cheer in his step.

While waiting for his things to arrive, Tavros decided to give himself a tour. Smile plastered to his face, he strode through the entryway that led to the living room, open and inviting. He visualized all of the furniture as he went, placing and rearranging so that he would have a solid plan to give the movers. After brushing his fingers along the edge of the small but beautiful stone fireplace set into the opposite wall, he turned left and made his way into the adjoining kitchen. The room extended back, but Tavros kept moving forward into what he dubbed his game room. It was just big enough to function as his office, if he ever found the need to work, and double as a play space. The childlike 20-something year old enjoyed anything from Halo to Pokemon.

He continued on to the staircase in the back corner of the game room, a simple thing that extended into the house's rather spacious attic. This, of course, would be used for storage, and also the Taurus's bedroom. There was a beautiful window that looked across the backyard, which was streaming gentle sunlight into the room, that would make a wonderful backdrop for his room. He would have to put his Peter Pan posters somewhere else, perhaps the game room. All of the trivial details could be ironed out when the time came. For now, Tavros made his way back downstairs to the living room and continued to the right.

A hallway constituted the rest of pthe house, with all of its appropriate extensions- tons of closet space, the master bedroom that would become the guest room, and the bathroom. Flicking on the light in the last, Tavros leaned one elbow on the marble sink and ran a hand through his messy caramel mohawk. He met his own amber eyes in the mirror, and offered his reflection a lopsided grin. He wondered what Rufioh would say if he could see his baby brother now. The young man's smile slipped a bit at the thought of his estranged sibling. The two had been nearly inseparable until the older left for college in Asia and decided to stay. Still, Tavros made it a point to call Rufioh at least twice a month. He made a mental note to bring up the fact that he had a guest room available for the elder if he ever decided to visit, though the Taurus didn't get his hopes up.

He was jarred out of his head by the doorbell. His stuff must be here. Tavros rushed to the door and pulled one side open. A tall, dark, and handsome man that looked to be around his age, if not a little older, stood waiting. Smiling nervously, he swept a piece of his long, black hair behind his ear.

"Miss Lalonde said I was to help you move your things into your new home, Mr. Nitram. Simply tell me where and I'll be happy to put anything anywhere you like." His voice was deep and solid, with a slight accent that Tavros couldn't place.

"Are you by yourself? Because, I, um, could help, if that's what you'd like, I mean, if you don't mind?" Tavros said, his slight stutter and awkward phrasing making him blush. The stranger's blue eyes crinkled as his face stretched into a genuine smile.

"No thank you, sir. I'm very strong, and more than capable. And excuse my poor manners, I am Equius Zahaak. Feel free to command me as you wish, Mr. Nitram." He said, holding out his hand. I took it and said shakily that he could call me by my first name. Instead of replying, he straightened his deep blue tank and walked to the van that held Tavros's furnishings. After watching him work and sweat for a few hours (during which he was definitely, most likely, probably not watching the way his muscles moved under his clothes because Tavros _was not_ going there) everything was in place, and Equius excused himself to use the restroom. Tavros sighed happily and stood in the middle of the living room, appreciating the tactful choices that had been made thanks to the mover's input.

As he was once again drawn to the fireplace, he heard Equius pull open a closet door. Because of the space in the attic, they had been rendered useless, and the man was most likely trying to find a use for them. He went to help when he heard a thunk and a gasp of shock. Walking quickly, the Taurus saw what looked like am ashy black box on the floor in front of a very pale Zahaak in the hallway. Eyebrows drawn in concern, Tavros put a hand on the older man's shoulder, only to have him jump out of his skin. Equius, with a sharp intake of breath, turned to me.

"Mr. Nitram, I don't know how to phrase this without it coming off as strange, but I would reccomend getting this house blessed." He whispered frightfully, before rushing away to the living room. Gaping after him, the Taurus blinked a few times before he heard the rumbling of an engine. He had left. What had scared him so badly to cause him to run off like that? And blessed? As in, by a priest? Tavros gave an involuntary shudder as he knelt to observe the box. The outside was blacked, as if it had been set on fire. He gingerly prodded it open and was met by the alphabet and a few words on a board. It might of been his eyes playing tricks in him, but Tavros could have sworn that the hallway got a bit dimmer as he laid eyes on the worse for wear Ouiji board.

He bit his lip, then shook his head. No, that was silly. It was just some game. Equius must be superstitious. Laughing, he closed it back up and put it back in the closet until he could think of what to do with it.

However, as he got ready for bed, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.


	2. Chapter 2

~Chapter 1~

Frowning, Tavros paused once again in front of the closet that contained the cursed game, an uneasy feeling boiling in the pit of his stomach. He shook his head and tore his eyes from the ornate knob, which his hand had been poised to grab. He continued on to the living room and sat in a chair across from the cold fireplace, staring blankly at the ash in the bottom. He needed to get out. The Taurus had more than enough in savings to support himself for a long while, but he supposed getting a job wouldn't hurt. He'd look into that more tomorrow. Even though it was only 8, Tavros felt exhausted, almost as if he was drained of energy. Rubbing his eyes, he started walking towards the attic, but when he opened his eyes, he was in front of the closet.

Wracked with sudden chills, Tavros narrowed his eyes at the offending door. Breath quickening, he wrenched it open and grabbed the box. It felt warm in his shaking hands, almost...alive. Speeding towards the front doors, the young man simply threw the box out into the yard, a feeling to get the thing out of his home overwhelming him. Eyes wide and trembling, Tavros turned and slammed the door, hand pressed to his mouth. He couldn't explain his actions, or his overreaction. It was just some game, right?

The next day, Tavros planned to head into town to look for work. It definiyley was not an excuse to get out of the house. There was no reason to be afraid of a house, for God's sake. At least, that's what Tavros was muttering to himself as he made his way into the kitchen for breakfast. He debated whether to start the coffee maker or just get coffee later as he slipped on his favorite black jacket. The Latino decided on the latter, and paced to the living room to open the door. His whole body tensed, however, when he saw the Oujij board sitting on his fireplace. With a sharp intake of breath, he checked the door's locks to no avail. Fear crashed through him in waves that left his body cold. He wrenched the door open, terrified, and hurried into the sunlight. Trying to clear his mind, the Taurus contined on with his job search, albeit a bit more jumpy that he would have been normally. Nothing particulary piqued his interest save for the local animal shelter, which admittedly didn't pay much. It wasn't like he needed the money, though, so he admitted his application to the perky girl at the front desk.

After that, Tavros explored the city a little bit, understandably reluctant to go home. As the sun set, he realized he shouldn't prolong the inevitable, and started home. He distracted himself as he went, recalling and making note of places he liked and didn't like. But he eventually reached his house that didn't quite feel like his house anymore. With bated breath, he unlocked and pushed one side open, quiet and hesitant. His eyes were drawn to the empty spot where the board used to lay. Tavros breathed deeply and switched on the lights, eyes roving across the living room in search of the box. His shoulders relaxed when he couldn't spot it. He closed his eyes and smiled to himself as he walked into the kitchen. Maybe he was seeing things, he pondered as he opened the fridge. He had leftovers from a little cafe he had eaten at, pirate themed and quite nice, though the waitress had come onto him a bit strong.

Tavros shrugged as he opened one of the bottom drawers, intent on stowing away his Sunken Submarine Sandwich. The food hit the floor and Tavros clutched at his chest when the drawer revealed that it was already full, containing the Oujij board. Eyes watering, he threw the leftovers in without caring where it went and shut the refrigerator door. Taking ragged breaths, the Taurus ran upstairs into his room, and without bothering to change crawled under the safety of his covers.

In the morning, Tavros shuffled through the house like a zombie. He was unable to get any sleep, and his body was suffering the repercussions. When the phone rang (and no he didn't jump, thank you very much), he hardly made it in time, but picked it up on the second to last trill.

"H-hello?" Tavros mumbled, yawning.

"Hi, is this Mr. Tavros Nitram?" A bubbly voice answered, jarring him from his tired state with her exuberance.

"I, um, yes. This is me. I mean, I'm T-Tavros." He replied, rubbing his eyes.

"Great!" She purred. "Listen, the boss hardly needed to review your application to tell that you're suited for the job. In fact, we both think you're purr-fect! You start tomorrow, Monday bright and early, that is, if you don't mind. Although, you could come down today. I'd show ya around, get you a head start."

"I'd, uh, like that. Thank you, miss...?" He started, realizing he didn't know her name.

"Oh, Lejion, Nepeta Lejion. Nice to meet you, Tav! See ya in a bit!" she chirped before hangIng up the phone. Now passably alert, the Taurus refused to acknowledge anything other than what he had to. He didn't check any drawer, follow any flicker in the corner of his eye, listen to any suspicios thump. He simply got ready and walked out the door. He didn't even care that the door slammed angrily behind him. He walked to the shelter, savoring the early morning sun that permeated the dark cloud surrounding him. Metaphorically. Nepeta was waiting to greet him, smiling brightly and offering her hand.

The girl looked younger than him by a few years, tiny in everything except personality. The hat she wore over her messy auburn hair had the visage of a cat, two blue ears projecting from the top.

"Ya might want to invest in a thicker jacket, Tav. The back rooms can get pretty cold. That's why I have mine." Nepeta said as she led him further into the building, gesturing to her oversized olive coat.

"Well, it's not actually mine, but my best friend lets me borrow it when I work. S'not like he needs it though, he's so hot blooded. Always sweating. It's actually pretty gross, but I just don't have the heart to tell 'im." She continued to chat as she showed him around, directing him to try a few tasks to get the hang of it. She was extremely pleased with the way he handled the animals. They always had liked him, and he loved them back. Everything was pretty normal until Nepeta checked the clock.

"Oh my gosh! It's 11:00? I have to go to church! Feferi was supposed to be here... No wait, she called in sick! I completely forgot!" Tavros listened to her rant for a few more seconds, waiting for her to catch her breath.

"I could, uh, take over. For a while, if that's, okay?" He interrupted gently, smiling and shrugging one shoulder. Her face melted into a grin and she threw her arms around him.

"Oh, thank you so much! I owe you one big time, making you work when you don't even start 'til tomorrow! I gotta go, but if there's an emergency you can call me anytime. I'll be back around one, 'kay? Ooh, I know! I'll get ya coffee tomorrow morning, there's a really nice place down the street!" She called as she walked out the door, leaving her number scribbled on a post-it note. Tavros smiled and made her a contact in his phone, planning on getting to know the his co- worker. He enjoyed the sense of frivolity and normalcy she offered, a stark contrast to his life at home.


	3. Chapter 3

~Chapter 2~

After Nepeta got back, continuing to thank him profusely, Tavros left the shelter in a considerably better mood than when he came in. He felt like Nepeta and his job would serve as a sort of anchor to his sanity. It was 1:30, and he hadn't eaten lunch yet, so he went to the Jolly Roger's Cafe, where he had eaten dinner previously. He felt a little uncomfortable when he saw that the waitress from before was there as well, but she thankfully wasn't his. A surly blonde with a surprising streak of purple coloring his hair took his drink order. His slightly whiny voice was monotone as he spewed out cheesy fish puns and, complete with an eye roll, waltzed off after writing it down. Tavros brushed it off. It wasn't his fault if the guy didn't like his job.

However, when he looked up again, a different person was walking towards him, his drink in hand. She was smiling, and her eyes were bright behind her glasses.

"Heeeeeeeello again, Pan." She smirked, setting his drink on the table. The nickname, given to him when she had spotted his Tinkerbell keychain on his wallet, rubbed him the wrong way. He shifted in his seat when she leaned closer, tapping him on the edge of his nose.

"Are you ready to order, Pan? No? Okay, just call me over when you are. I'll be waiting." She strutted off, swinging her hips. He blinked a few times, suppressing a shudder. The way she had said that had almost been threatening. Tavros went back to perusing the menu, ultimately deciding to stick with his previous order. Hesitantly, he signaled the waitress, who was standing nearby, pretending to survey tables. She took his order, grinning, and promised to be right back. Had she been this forward last time?

It was about 20 minutes later that his food arrived, along with a now casually dressed waitress. His eyes widened at her provocative choices, ranging from her low cut sea blue top to her dark, sinfully tight jeans. He gulped when she pulled up a chair, flipping her long and wild hair behind one shoulder.

"Thank God I get off early on Sundays. So, how about we get more acquainted with each other? I'm Vriska Serket, and I'm very, _very, _available. What about you?" She fired at him, drawing figure eights on the table with her index finger. Anxiety clawed at his throat, nearly stopping him from replying. He hated talking to strangers usually, but this situation was about 100 times worse.

"I'm, uh, T-Tavros." He forced out. He could see her giggle a little at his stutter, causing his face to flush. He averted his eyes and tried to fight the panic in his chest.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, T-Tavros." She smirked, teasing him. The playfulness in her voice was almost overwhelmed by her underlying tone of malice. Their near one-sided conversation continued on like that, Tavros speaking minimally and Vriska slipping jabs into her flirting and semi-compliments. Near the end of two pain-staking hours, Tavros mentioned that he should be leaving soon. She seemed disappointed, but cheerfully said that she'd cover the food, stating that he looked like he needed a few freebies. Before he left, she snatched his phone out of his pocket and put in her phone number, then insisting he walk her out. He nervously complied, not having it in him to refuse her. When it was time for them to part ways, she forcefully grabbed his wrist, preventing him from walking away like he wanted to.

"Call me. We should go out like this again sometime, and not just by chance. I'll see you later, _riiiiiiiight_?" She drew out the last word as she leaned closer to him, their noses almost touching. He nodded slightly, breath halted. She laughed softly before connecting their lips, equally as softly. It wasn't unpleasant at first, just a bit unexpected. And then she grabbed his mohawk, preventing his release as she tilted her head and forced his lips open with her tongue. Tavros's hands clenched at his sides as she invaded his mouth sloppily and carelessly. Finally pausing for breath, the girl patted his cheek and she took a few steps back. She waved over her shoulder at him as she walked away without saying anything else.

Shaking, Tavros somehow found his way home through the threat of tears. After he unlocked the door and got inside, he leaned against it, catching his breath. He was relieved to be home and away from Vriska, though it was short lived as he caught sight of the living room. Suddenly sick to his stomach, the Taurus reached out disbelievingly to one of the chairs. It was perfectly balanced upside down. The same went for the rest of the furniture, inexplicably all turned over at near impossible points. He took a deep breath before winding his way through the maze, towards the game room. The fireplace caught his eye for some reason, however. Blinking, once, twice, the man stared at the ashy clawed hand-print on the pale stone.

"Kan, I'm telling you, there's something weird going on i-in the house. No, I'm not overreacting, and I'm whispering because I'm, afraid in my own home! Listen, can you just s-see if your girlfriend and I can talk? Okay, thank you." Tavros muttered into the phone bright and early Monday morning. He couldn't sleep hardly at all after the debacle with the living room, and was immediately up and about as soon as he deemed normal. Kanaya, being the morning person she was, had answered the phone almost instantly when he called (after getting his cell out of the refrigerator in a tub of butter, which he would not have found if he had not snacked on toast around 3 AM). Tavros did his best to ignore the little odd occurrences, as they were pretty tolerable in the mornings.

The Taurus spent about 4 minutes battling with the door, re-locking itself every time he tried to open it. The next 5 minutes were spent in a similar fashion, though he realized that he was, in fact, locking the door whilst the entity unlocked it. Finally he got out of the house (step 1 complete) and travelled to the cafe that Nepeta had offered to take him to. The teen had texted the address to him yesterday evening, insisting that Tavros eat breakfast with her to repay his favor. Exhausted, he opted to take the bus instead of walk as per usual, attempting to save his energy for his first day at work. After a grueling ride next to a snappish young man with shocking red hair pouring over a college textbook, Tavros arrived at The Calico Cafe, Nepeta waiting outside to greet him. Her glance seemed to linger on the redhead as he walked past them to the park that neighbored the cafe. Tavros smiled to himself at the way her malachite eyes lit up.

The pair, after excessive blushing and averting from the younger, entered the restaurant. As they took their seats in a cosy corner, Nepeta scrutinized his face.

"You okay, Tav?" she questioned, stirring her tea idly with her pinky. He was about to reply, of course he was fine, no need to worry, but something in her eyes convinced him that he could be completely honest with this girl. He sighed before replying.

"Not really. Some weird s-stuff has been going on at home."

"Not to pry, but like, family things or what? Cause I'm here for you, ya know?" she smiled and leaned her head to the side, removing her pinky from her drink and popping it in her mouth. Tavros felt his heart soar at her concern. It felt nice to know that there was someone who cared about his well being, a feeling unceremoniously missing for most of his life, especially after Rufioh left. He contemplated whether to to tell her the horror story that was his life, however, as he really didn't want to involve the young girl. Just before he opened his mouth to speak, the tingle of chimes announced another customer and Nepeta nearly shot out of her seat trying to flag them down. He turned around in his seat only to be met with a very familiar face.

"H-hi again, Equius." Tavros greeted, surprised that the stony man knew such a buoyant girl. He seemed surprised as well, eyes widening behind the cracked sunglasses he wore.

"Hello, Tavros. I hope you don't mind the informality, but we are in a public setting and I believe that is a sufficient reason. How are you faring? Have you... taken care of your problem?" The older man seemed semi-awkward, and immediately started to sweat. At a questioning and slightly accusing glance at both men from the surprisingly intimidating Nepeta, Tavros confessed both his trying experience with the Ouija board, which had shown up in his bathroom twice and now rested atop his Xbox, and the other strange occurrences in his home. Both Nepeta and Equius, notably concerned, suggested that he seek help from their priest. The older man wrote down the number before heading off, waving a goodbye. Nepeta smiled and patted Tavros's hand as he took the number, putting it in his jacket pocket.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Tavros huffed angrily and tightened the pillow atop his head, trying to block out the incessant banging coming from downstairs. Though the activity in his house had limited itself to strictly nighttime (when he was home the most), the level of noise had increased dramatically. The Taurus could hardly sleep, and when he did, he usually woke because of some physical act of violence. Last night, after plugging in his headphones and cranking the volume to try and sleep, he was yanked by his uncovered ankle out of bed to find the wires cut and his iPod fried. Resigning himself to another night with no sleep, Tavros removed the pillow and stared at his ceiling. That is, until something on the other side of the room caught his eye. And that was quite a feat, seeing as the attic ran along the entire top of the house. Breath caught in his throat, he slowly sat up and saw that his movements were tracked by two glowing yellow eyes.

"It's totally an animal, totally, it's alright, squirrels and stuff find their w-way into attics all the time..." Tavros whispered quietly, voice wavering. He stared back at the unblinking eyes, their strange yellow glow permeating the darkness of the room.

"Shoo." he said, trying to come off as serious, stern. He sounded like a grade schooler. He guessed it was some sort of animal that wormed its way in his house. Yes, because animals had glowing eyes. It didn't look very big, not that he could see an outline, but the eyes weren't very high off the ground, just kind of suspended about a foot. He sat up straighter, making a go away gesture with his hands. Goosebumps rose on his arms as Tavros realized that it was completely and totally silent. He could hear his own heartbeat thumping in his ears, nearly drowning out a quiet vibrating sound. It might have been coming from outside, the Taurus reasoned, but as it deepened in pitch and increased in volume, Tavros realized that it was, in fact, coming from the other side of the room. Tavros watched with horror as the eyes slowly rose, never leaving his, to an astonishing height at least two feet over his own.

The now discernible growling was equal to that of a lion about to pounce. Tavros's heart was speeding and a cold sweat had formed on his skin. He didn't know what to do. Oh God, what could he do? Was this how he was going to die? What did this... thing want with him? Why was it here? Why him? Why his house? Panic tightend the Taurus's chest to the point where it was difficult to breathe. All he wanted were answers. And to live. He nearly cried when he heard a deep, raspy chuckle from the darkness of the room. It seemed to reverberate in the air around him, piercing him.

"This is my house. All things in it belong to me as well. Which means you are mine. So states my contract." The voice hissed. Then- nothing. When Tavros blinked, the eyes were gone, along with the pressure and tense atmosphere. He needed out of here, out of this house. He stayed awake, plauged with visions of the eyes and threatening, joyless laughter.

OoO

Kanaya tutted at her friend's sorry state, noting his lack of personal care and all around poor attitude. Her girlfriend, who has yet to have a moment to spare for the young man, continued to talk business over the phone in the other room.

"Tavros, darling, please sit. Your pacing is making me nervous. Rose will attend to you shortly, I'm sure. In the meantime, why don't you try to relax?" Kanaya offered Tavros a seat next to her on the couch, passing a cup of tea into his shaking hands. Smiling, she patted him on the shoulder, and the poor thing jumped. It had been nearly two months since they had last spoken, work and "a situation back home" keeping the Taurus from a long needed visit. She was more than happy when she heard that her dear childhood friend would be moving here, and nearly begged Rose to find him a house near theirs. However, being two very successful women, they could afford something a great deal more expensive than the newly independent Latino. Thus, her better half found him an extremely cheap house a few neighborhoods away.

The younger man finally seemed to loosen up a little, leaning back into the couch and exhaling tiredly. Kanaya let out a softer, happier sigh as he leaned his head on her shoulder. The woman could feel him drifting off, and slowly brought a hand up to stroke his unkempt mohawk. Just as Tavros began snoring lightly, Rose strutted into the room, ready to chat, raising her eyebrows at the scene before her. The blonde caught her girlfriend's eyes and nodded as she put a finger to her lips. Smiling, she sat on the other side of Kanaya and picked up a book.

The next hour or so was spent in comfortable silence. Eventually, however, the peace had to be broken by Rose's phone triling some rather obscene rap music. She glared at the phone before accepting the call, standing and walking out of the room. Kanaya was just able to catch "Goddammit Dave, I told you to stop messing with my phone," as Tavros stirred beside her. She smiled warmly at him as he stretched his arms above his head. The t-shirt he was wearing, being a little too small for his body, rode up a little as he did so. And not that Kanaya would be one to look, but a couple marks that looked suspiciously like bruises showed themselves, and the Virgo had to fight down her incredulity. That anyone would hurt Tavros was beyond reason. The only acceptable excuse she could come up with was that her eyes were playing tricks on her. When the Taurus found that Rose was in another conversation, he excused himself, promising he'd come over again sometime. At the door, she wrapped him in a tight hug. She pretended not to notice the slight wince on Tavros's face.

**I don't mean to disappoint, but I'm going to stop the chapter here. I had a lot more planned, but things in the fic aren't working out like I originally thought, so I might drop it. Just a warning. Sorry for the inconvenience.**


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